Titus Andronicus is said to be Shakespeare’s bloodiest tragedy. There’s nothing brutal about the band bearing the same name, though. While their guitars are loud and distorted, these Jersey boys are generally out to whip up a good time.

The quartet is currently on their first headlining tour and will play the Firebird on Tuesday (Sept. 8). A hard working band, they’ll enthusiastically sleep on floors while on tour even though they have enjoyed some national success of late.

I caught witty lead singer Patrick Stickles by phone today as the band made its way to Montreal.

RC: Is this really your first headlining tour?
PS: It sort of is. We did a tour last summer, but it was kind of a ramshackle affair — not fancy or official. So this is our first U.S. tour where we’re not opening for someone. I guess you could say it’s our first dip of the toe in the big boy pool.
RC: When did your latest album come out?
PS: Our latest and indeed our only album (The Airing Of Grievances) came out in April of last year, then re-released in January of this year.
RC: Were there any changes in the second release?
PS: It was remastered, or, more accurately, mastered for the first time. We first recorded it on a shoestring budget. We had to crawl through the muck and mire just to get everything done. Then we sent it out into the world naked and afraid. We had the benefit of enough attention so that we were able to put the shiny shoes on it.
RC: Your band also puts out webisodes, correct?
PS: I can’t deny it, its real. In today’s age of the Internet and Facebook, we’ve come to believe that the most mundane aspects of our daily lives are of interest to everyone. Our friend Alan is a filmmaker, so when funny things happen on tour, we try to capture it. It’s a way to humanize ourselves, give the kids a laugh and let them know what it feels like to be us - because we know they’re incredibly interested.
RC: Have you slept on any floors on this tour?

PS: We slept on Joe’s floor just last night in Summerville, Mass. If we’re lucky, we’ll be sleeping on some French Canadian’s floor tonight! You know you’ve won over the crowd when you’re sleeping on someone’s floor that night. You’re a failure if stay in a motel room — your body may be comfortable, but your heart is aching.

Titus Andronicus with The So So Glos and The Cuban Missiles
9 pm Tuesday, Firebird, $8
http://www.myspace.com/titusandronicus
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